PETS
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Here you will find:
PET TIPS--
Dogs cannot eat everything you might give them; some human foods are toxic to your pets.
1. Onions (Both onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient Thiosulphate. But onions are more of a danger. Many dog biscuits contain *small* amounts of garlic – garlic contains less of this toxin so huge amounts would need to be consumed to be toxic. And, by the way, this poison builds up the system – it can be toxic in one large dose – or with repeated consumption of small amounts.)
2. Chocolate (Chocolate contains Theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. This can be fatal to dogs.)
3. Grapes (Grapes are dangerous because of an unknown substance which is toxic to dogs – affects canine’s kidneys)
4. Raisins (See above.)
5. Most Fruit Pits and Seeds (Contain Cyanogenic Glycosides resulting in cyanide poisoning – though the fruit itself is OK.)
6. Macadamia Nuts (Macadamia nuts contain an unknown substance that is toxic to dogs.)
7. Bones (Most bones should *not* be given (especially chicken bones) because they can splinter and cause laceration of the digestive system and/or become lodged in your pet’s throat – so they also pose a choking hazard.)
8. Potato Peelings and Green Potatoes (Contain Oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.)
9. Rhubarb leaves (See above.)
10. Broccoli (Broccoli is only toxic in large quantities.)
11. Green parts of Tomatoes or Green Potatoes (Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.)
12. Yeast Dough (Yeast Dough can produce gas and swell in your pet’s stomach – leading to rupture of the digestive system)
13. Coffee, Coffee Grounds, Tea, Soft Drinks (Coffee, tea, & most soft drinks are dangerous due to the caffeine.)
14. Beer/Wine/Alcohol of any kind (Alcohol of any kind could lead to coma or even death.)
15. Human Vitamins (Human vitamins, especially those containing iron, can cause damage to the lining of the digestive system as well as cause kidney and liver damage)
16. Moldy or Spoiled Food (I think this goes without saying.)
17. Persimmons (Persimmons can cause intestinal blockage)
18. Raw Eggs and Raw Fish (Raw eggs and some raw fish can cause Salmonella poisoning.)
19. Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder (In large amounts these can cause an electrolyte imbalance – and severe electrolyte imbalances can lead to muscle spasm or even congestive heart failure.)
20. Mushrooms (Mushrooms may contain toxins which could cause liver and kidney damage)
21. Sugar-Free Foods (Sugar-free foods containing Xylitol have been found to cause liver failure in some dogs.)
22. Nutmeg (Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures, and central nervous system damage.)
23. Excessive Fatty Foods (Excess fatty foods can cause Pancreatitis.)
24. Avocado (All parts of the avocado and avocado tree are toxic to dogs.)
25. Diary Products (Dairy products don’t usually pose a great danger; but many dairy product have high fat content (see number 23) – and many pets are lactose intolerant – some pets more than others. Lactose intolerance leads to gas and diarrhea; though small amounts of yogurt and cheese are usually fairly well tolerated.)
Keep these 25 toxic foods in mind when cooking for your dog. There may be other foods that your dog can not consume; so always ask your vet when you are unsure about anything concerning your pets.
The mission of PACKSrescue is to achieve the goal of No More Homeless Pets in Sacramento by 2019. Our vision is to end the euthanasia of homeless dogs and cats in the Sacramento urban area and surrounding communities and to promote humane alternatives for feral cats.
“A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change.” — Bill Drayton, Ashoka Foundation
PACKSrescue is a profit making non-profit business that models a new approach to reduce animal homelessness by using the concepts of Social Entrepreneurship to create a world where animals help people and people help animals, in order to reduce the killing rate of unwanted pets and find those that are abandoned or abused, their forever homes.
I. The Problem
Innovations in animal welfare reduced the euthanasia rate of cats and dogs from one in five in 1970, to one in twenty in 2000. Yet, we still kill 3 to 4 million companion animals every year in our American shelters. Instead of making further inroads into preventing deaths of unwanted pets, statistics have stayed flat for the last five years. Experts in animal welfare have concluded that, even with widespread spay and neuter programs, efforts to make the United States a No Kill nation have hit a plateau.
Over 84% of the pets in American homes are purchased from commercial breeders. Only 16% of our pets come from rescue organizations and shelters. People buy pets from backyard breeders, the internet or pet stores because they perceive them to be better quality pets than shelter and rescue animals. This belief persists despite the fact that 25% of the animals entering our shelters are purebred.
Animal welfare advocates are calling for new “disruptive thinking” approaches to solve the problem of homeless pets, elevate the status of shelter animals in the public’s eye and compete against commercial breeders. We at PACKSrescue (People and Animals Collaborating Kindness Sacramento Rescue) are answering that call.
II. The Solution
We are designing PACKSrescue to model a new approach: reducing animal homelessness by changing public perceptions. Our programs will be designed to elevate the public’s poor image of shelter animals from “used dogs and cats” to rebranding them with a status equal to, or more superior, to animals purchased from commercial breeders. PACKS seeks to promote the concept that homeless pets can benefit our community. Animals provide us with greater meaning, well being and mobility in our lives. Through promotion of the animal-human bond, PACKS programs will focus on marketing the abilities of homeless pets to improve our health, education and welfare. By doing so, we hope to reband homeless pets with a more positive image, increase adoption rates and compete against the the commercial breeders who now sell us the majority of animals found in our homes. In short, the mission of PACKS is to promote the concept of “animals helping people and people helping animals,” in order to reduce the killing rate of unwanted pets and find those that are abandoned or abused, their forever homes.
In order to solve the overwhelming lack of funding animal welfare organizations face, PACKS will position itself in the community as an animal center, easily accessible to our citizens and financially supported by innovative, self sustaining businesses. Using high visibility, our profit making businesses can compete with the $52 billion dollar a year pet industry. By building an attractive physical presence housing our unique programs, we intend to encourage greater foot traffic into PACKS to increase adoptions. Our attached profit making businesses will fund our non-profit programs of assisted animal therapy, education and job training that promote the interdependance of people and animals.
In order to increase adoptions and compete against commercial breeders, we must recognize that a market opportunity exists: to promote the unique skills sets animals possess to enrich our lives. Because of the amazing strength of the animal-human bond, many of our unwanted pets, now dying in animal shelters, can be called upon to fill our children’s, elderly’s and disabled citizen’s unmet needs by incorporating assisted animal therapy and education into our rescue program. By doing so, we hope to change our perception of homeless pets as creatures deserving only our pity and make further inroads into the disenfranchised communities from where many homeless animals come.
We are designing PACKSrescue to model a new approach: reducing animal homelessness by changing public perceptions. Our programs will be designed to elevate the public’s poor image of shelter animals from “used dogs and cats” to rebranding them with a status equal to, or more superior, to animals purchased from commercial breeders. PACKS seeks to promote the concept that homeless pets can benefit our community. Animals provide us with greater meaning, well being and mobility in our lives. Through promotion of the animal-human bond, PACKS programs will focus on marketing the abilities of homeless pets to improve our health, education and welfare. By doing so, we hope to reband homeless pets with a more positive image, increase adoption rates and compete against the the commercial breeders who now sell us the majority of animals found in our homes. In short, the mission of PACKS is to promote the concept of “animals helping people and people helping animals,” in order to reduce the killing rate of unwanted pets and find those that are abandoned or abused, their forever homes.
In order to solve the overwhelming lack of funding animal welfare organizations face, PACKS will position itself in the community as an animal center, easily accessible to our citizens and financially supported by innovative, self sustaining businesses. Using high visibility, our profit making businesses can compete with the $52 billion dollar a year pet industry. By building an attractive physical presence housing our unique programs, we intend to encourage greater foot traffic into PACKS to increase adoptions. Our attached profit making businesses will fund our non-profit programs of assisted animal therapy, education and job training that promote the interdependance of people and animals.
In order to increase adoptions and compete against commercial breeders, we must recognize that a market opportunity exists: to promote the unique skills sets animals possess to enrich our lives. Because of the amazing strength of the animal-human bond, many of our unwanted pets, now dying in animal shelters, can be called upon to fill our children’s, elderly’s and disabled citizen’s unmet needs by incorporating assisted animal therapy and education into our rescue program. By doing so, we hope to change our perception of homeless pets as creatures deserving only our pity and make further inroads into the disenfranchised communities from where many homeless animals come.
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